Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Wood Tales

A few years ago when a friend left town, they got rid of
everything as they were going to live on a boat. Her husband gave DH a wooden
tool chest his dad had made. He wanted to keep nothing, so DH accepted it. His
father had been a carpenter and had built the chest to carry his tools to work
sites, and in fact, a couple of saws were still inside. DH used it for a while
and then was getting tight on room in his shop. When he asked if I had ideas how
to use it, I toted it inside and used the wooden box as a coffee table.

DH was not impressed, but he replaced the missing drawer and
I got a pull for it. Others have commented on the piece, but DH can’t see its
glamor for a living room. I like the primitive, rough wood and the thoughts of
man earning his living from the chest.

We dashed to a garage sale on Friday in horrid heat because we
heard wood working tools were for sale. DH found a few small items and I found
a chair for $4. I love flowers on chairs outside. One of the chairs rungs was
missing, but the chair sat solid. When I got it home, DH said he could fix the
missing rung and surely I wasn’t sitting the chair outside as it was solid oak!
There are only so many things I can stuff into this house, despite the fact I
am hauling out some too.

DH finished a chest today and we carried it in. It is cherry
and was very heavy despite carrying it without the drawers. Just can’t carry
things so well anymore. It turned out very well and the dark wood is perfect
showcase for the Blue Willow!

Hauling things out so we can haul different/ more things in: I love it. Guess that's why I buy more cobalt glass and Cape Cod red pieces. My house has 3 generations of bureaus--all wooden, all precious because they were "Grandma's." Ah, what our heirs get to do with them is still a mystery. It's good DH is a wood worker and you have an eye for good pieces.

What lovely pieces of furniture you have, Claudia. I was thrilled to see how the tool box became such a stunning coffee table. The details are excellent.

My grandfather had a wooden steamer trunk with wooden drawers and compartments inside. Inside one hidden drawer he'd stored letters his brothers and sisters had sent him when he was in France during WWI. Some pieces of furniture deserve these second chances to be treasured.